Spiral galaxies, like the one in this 2019 Hubble image, are among the most common structures in our universe.

Spiral galaxies are massive collections of stars, often hundreds of billions of stars. The brightest region of these galaxies is surrounded by dense clusters of stars at the center of the galaxy, surrounded by graceful spiral arms surrounded by dark dust lanes.

Image description: The hazy white core of a spiral galaxy glows in the image center, surrounded by dark brown dust and star-filled spiral arms.

Image credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA, P. Erwin